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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. tear — from crying
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ball — a great time
  7. track — a path
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. track — to keep track
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. ball — a dance
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. track — a song
  15. charge — a price
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — in football
  20. charge — in control
  21. date — the fruit
  22. tear — from crying
  23. deal — to handle
  24. tear — to rip

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com